Latest news with #LahAhmad
The Star
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Aizat Amdan, Lah Ahmad to perform at Selangor Travel Fair next weekend
Selangor Travel Fair 2025 is part of Tourism Selangor's initiative to welcome eight million tourists to the state this year. — Pexels The 2025 edition of the Selangor Travel Fair is set to take place from July 26 to 27, featuring plenty of travel deals and exciting performances by local artists. Taking place from 10am to 10pm at Central Market Kuala Lumpur, the first day of the fair will include the 'Surprising Selangor' concert. The concert, scheduled at 7.30pm on Saturday, will feature Lah Ahmad and Aizat Amdan – the latter is the singer of Surprising Selangor , the theme song of Visit Selangor Year (VSY) 2025. Padat (Perbadanan Adat Melayu dan Warisan Negeri Selangor) will also showcase cultural performances. The fair will additionally mark the launch of the new VSY 2025 theme song, Selangor Kan Ada! . It is sung by a "mystery singer", whose identity – along with the full video for Selangor Kan Ada! – will be revealed at the concert, as well as on Tourism Selangor's YouTube channel on the same day. Tourism Selangor CEO Chua Yee Ling said that Selangor Travel Fair 2025, which will serve as the VSY 2025 campaign's main highlight, '…will feature over 30 tourism exhibitors'. Among them are Farm Fresh, Selangor Fruit Valley, Padat and Tourism Malaysia. Chua, speaking during yesterday's Media & Influencers Hi-Tea 2025 event at Tamarind Springs in Ampang Jaya, also said that the two-day travel fair is expected to welcome 30,000 visitors. At the same event, state local government and tourism committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim shared his belief that Selangor will continue to play a pivotal part in the nation's tourism industry. This is especially so as the nation gears up for Visit Malaysia 2026. 'According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, in 2024 Selangor recorded the highest number of domestic visitors in Malaysia for four consecutive years, with a total of 34.5 million visitors. This proves that Selangor continues to be Malaysians' main destination of choice,' Ng said. To be held at Central Market KL, Selangor Travel Fair 2025 will feature over 30 tourism exhibitors. — FLOREY D. MIKIL/The Star As of March 2025, Selangor has recorded 1.77 million tourist arrivals, approximately 22% of its annual target. Domestic travellers make up 72% of these figures, while international travellers make up 28% – mainly from China (19%), Singapore (12%), Indonesia (6%), Japan (5%), and India (5%). Through VSY 2025, Selangor targets eight million (65% domestic and 35% international) tourist arrivals in 2025 with an expected tourism receipt of RM11.2bil. In related news, Tourism Selangor has also introduced the Visit Selangor Year Tourism Grant (Phase 2). Opened for application from July 1 to Oct 31, with a total allocation of RM300,000, the grant is offered in three categories: Discover Selangor Grant (valued at RM10,000), Splendid Selangor Grant (RM20,000), and Surprising Selangor Grant (RM30,000). The grant is expected to benefit 30 selected recipients. Application is open to various entities, including private companies or organisations, government-linked companies that are not receiving government bond funds, state government-affiliated organisations, and non-governmental organisations.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
M. Nasir's Luncai Emas to honour century of Malay music with ‘100 best songs' collection, featuring first-ever recording from 1903 (VIDEO)
KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 — To preserve Malay music heritage, Luncai Emas, the brainchild record company of Malaysia's music maestro Datuk M. Nasir, will release a collection of the 100 best Malay songs from the past century. Titled Projek 100 Lagu 100 Tahun, the collection will feature 100 of the most significant Malay songs from the 1900s to the 2000s, reimagined by top local artists in a contemporary style while retaining their core values. The initiative was spearheaded by Prof Emeritus Datuk Seri Mohamad Mustafa Ishak, the former vice-chancellor of Universiti Utara Malaysia, along with Luncai Emas' composer, Mohd Azhar Abu Bakar — popularly known as Azmeer. The collection will be released in four volumes, with each volume containing 25 songs. Apart from audio and visual formats, it will also include a coffee table book detailing the backstory of each song, its creation, and its cultural impact. The 'Projek 100 Lagu 100 Tahun' is set to include the best Malay songs from the 1900s to 2000. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin Among the iconic tracks in the first volume is Ulek Mayang, originally performed in the 1970s by Terengganu-born singer Wan Salmah Wan Sulaiman. The song will be given a fresh rendition by singer Kaka Azraff and hijab-wearing rapper Bunga. M. Nasir himself will also be featured in the collection, performing Nuri Terbang Malam, originally sung by Qasim. The track was released as the first single from the compilation early last month. The song is believed to be the first Malay-language track ever recorded on vinyl, dating back to 1903 when it was produced by a UK recording company called the Gramophone Company. 'The song Nuri Terbang Malam, its rhythm and melody was before the Western sound influences. The shape of its sounds are different, it has Arabic and Indian elements to it. 'Western influences came after and that's when we start seeing Western elements in Malay music which is present until to this day,' M. Nasir said. Lah Ahmad, a member of the popular local vocal group VE, will also be featured in the collection, performing a new version of Penantian, originally sung by the 1980s group Harmoni and composed by the late legendary vocalist Zubir Ali. The song gained recognition in 1981 for its poetic elements, and Lah Ahmad's rendition is set to be released on digital platforms on February 28. Other classic songs included in the first volume are Madah Berhelah by Ziana Zain, Kenangan Lalu by Flybaits, Wajahmu Di Mana-Mana by Azlina Aziz, and Getaran Jiwa by the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee. '[The project] can also be seen as a reintroduction of all of these legendary songs to the younger generation. 'We consider ourselves as art activists, and we are not doing this solely for commercial purposes but instead, we are creating a space for conversations and discussions on our own heritage,' M. Nasir said. The award-winning singer, often referred to as Sifu or 'master' in the local music industry, also expressed admiration for Malay songs of the past, noting that they offered greater variety and quality despite limited technological advancements. 'Even with just moderate technological advancement in music at that time, we could produce quality works. We used to have all kinds of songs — about love, life, kings and rulers, fishermen and even tragedies. 'But now, it's not to say that we don't have it, but composers are not offering them to singers any more as most composers nowadays would rather stick to current popular music,' he said. M. Nasir, known for his evergreen hits such as Apokalips, Mustika, and Keroncong Untuk Ana, also observed that modern local singers tend to focus too much on a single genre or commercially driven music. 'Take ballads for example — when we see an artist perform all of their songs [from one genre], it becomes boring, because it all sounds the same. 'But that is how it is now, so if there's anybody bold enough to change this, please do, but only if they are brave enough,' he said.
